What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Wow, no...

 

It's easier if nobody is around because then you can just pull the dress up to your waist so it won't drag lol

 

As Brent pointed out, they can help with alignment and more travel. It depends on the setup. I'm running OME 882s and 1/2" top plate spacers. I was riding so tall even with an Elite bumper and a BudBuilt skid that the ball joint was forcing the top of the spindle into the coil.

The Icons pushed the spindle back out where it was supposed to be. The spindle stays perpendicular to the ground through a longer stroke of the suspension (parallel to its at-rest plane).

Also, because I am riding so high, I was already a good ways into the down stroke of the suspension so it didn't have much to droop. I didn't measure it but I probably added a couple inches to the down travel. I know I have to jack it up higher by a few more peg holes, via my hi-lift, to get a front tire off the ground now.

 

Only way to really gain more travel with just UCAs is to have extended travel shocks too. Then you gain like 1'' of down travel and a tad more up travel.

 

Some day...

 

I agree that the "coupler" should be pressed in. However Icon's install instructions do not mention this and when I called Icon to confirm, they said the bottom bolt and cup does in fact "pull" the coupler into place. I was skeptical at first but tired anyways. As you mentioned, it did take ALOT of leverage. And soon enough, the bolt stripped. However on the passenger side, everything bolted in with no pressing and no problems. Strange... I would still recommend these UCA's however. Just that I would not suggest using the bolt and bottom cup to "pull" the coupler into place.

 

It varies, but yea, not much. Usually depending on the shock you have and coils.

Most the gained travel is just down travel. 1-1.5'' usually.

 

its no different then getting a longer shock and bigger leafs out back. More binding occurs with thicker coils, long shocks may bottom out.

In general, all of us with big rear lifts gain a lot of down travel, but we loose a lot of up travel. So the net gain is not as big as you'd think.

I don't hit the stock rear bumps..not a chance in hell.

and i barely hit the fronts with my CO in until i had a bumper, winch and skid. My coils where too stiff for it without.



make sense?

 

right..stock they hit.

and yes, with your EXTENDED KING CO AND TC UPPERS...

you still hit.

so good for you!

You just wanted to show off your cool mid travel didn't you...

 

Yeah, the instructions I had left much to be desired. They read as if they were for a 2nd Gen (which has the ball joint pressed into the top of the spindle and the tapered post jammed into the UCA.) And, of course, no torque values given.

I'm going to count myself lucky that I didn't have a chance to call. We did it on a Sunday and already had one side taken apart when I realized the instructions didn't make sense.

I'm also going to count myself very lucky that I had 3 very mechanically savvy guys helping me out.

 

so do you wanna trade c/o? 2.0 SAWs with 650# coils? :]

 

really? why don't you like the Kings??

What i am saying is you get better movement and a better fit shock. Thus you actually get your full range of motion.

Compared to a stock UCA and a 5100 with eibachs for example. You'll have to try a bit hard to hit the bumps.

 

Isnt that the truth...

 

Yep. Glad you got it right with the press! Those Icon's look so nice with the dust cover...

 

I think with aftermarket uca's the benefit is not necessarily full range of motion but better range of motion, or meaning no binding of upper ball joints at full stuff or at full droop without binding the cv's as well.
If that makes sense, haha. I mean they give better use of the range available.

 

'Tis a shame you didn't get yours worked out. I hope you at least got your money back out of them or close to it.

 

thats a better way of putting it.

 

I always thought those dust covers were snaped on like hub caps or screwed on.

 

Watched it drive away for the last time, already regretting selling it but it needed to be done


A little throwback of what she started as back in December of 2012


Here's her replacement, 2011 DCLB 4x4


Hoping to get into another 1st gen for strictly toy purposes after summer when funds recoupe

 

Here's the adhesive ring kit:



2 pairs and some alcohol swabs.

Probably be just as good to use a thin bead of RTV and a whole lot cheaper. $15/kit was what they were when I ordered a couple extra.